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Williams Exercises

Review Records is to perform the Williams Exercises at home two to three days per week. These are to be done at 10 repetitions each. Should Review have any pain with this activity, he should stop this activity and inform me on his next visit.

Pelvic tilt. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on floor. Flatten the small of your back against the floor, without pushing down with the legs. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds.

Single Knee to chest. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Slowly pull your right knee toward your shoulder and hold 5 to 10 seconds. Lower the knee and repeat with the other knee.

Double knee to chest. Begin as in the previous exercise. After pulling right knee to chest, pull left knee to chest and hold both knees for 5 to 10 seconds. Slowly lower one leg at a time.

Partial sit-up. Do the pelvic tilt (exercise 1) and, while holding this position, slowly curl your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold briefly. Return slowly to the starting position.

Hamstring stretch. Start sitting with one leg straight and the other bent so that the other heel is near your groin. The leg that is straight, keep your toes directed toward the ceiling and that knee fully extended or place a slight bend in that knee. Slowly lower the trunk/chest forward over the straighten leg, keeping that knee extended or partially bent, arms outstretched over that leg, and eyes focus ahead. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat with the other side.

Hip Flexor stretch. While standing, place one foot in front of the other with the left (front) knee flexed and the right (back) knee held rigidly straight. Flex forward through the trunk until the left knee contacts the axillary fold (arm pit region) of the left arm. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat with right leg forward and left leg back.

Squat. Stand with both feet parallel, about shoulder's width apart. Attempting to maintain the trunk as perpendicular as possible to the floor, eyes focused ahead, and feet flat on the floor, the subject slowly lowers his body by flexing his knees. This may be done by leaning against an abdominal ball/stability ball with the ball between you and the a wall.

References:

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  3. Cherkin DC et al., A comparison of physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, and provision of an educational booklet for the treatment of patients with low back pain, New England Journal of Medicine, 1998; 339:1021-9.
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    Williams PC: Lesions of the lumbosacral spine: chronic traumatic (postural) destruction of the intervertebral disc, J Bone Joint Surg 1937;29: 690-703.
  13. Williams PC: The Lumbosacral Spine. New York, NY, McGraw-Hill Book Co, 1965, pp 80-98.